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Sanhuang Paochui (Three Emperors Cannon Fist)

三皇炮捶

A northern Chinese cannon-fist style. Strikes fire off like a cannon shot, built on crossing hand work and a deep rider's stance.

Quick Facts

Country of OriginChina
RegionAsia
Primary FocusStriking
Contact LevelLight contact
Belt SystemNo grades

Character & Origin

StatusLiving, organized
LineageTraditional
Era of OriginEarly modern

Training

AttireTraditional dress
SparringLight contact
Role of WeaponsWeapons optional
Role of FormsForms at the core

Who It Suits

Kids ProgrammesRare kids groups
Senior FriendlySuitable with adaptation
Physical Demand3/5
Injury Risk2/5
Learning Curve4/5
Self-Defence Value3/5
Fitness Value4/5

Organisation & Competition

Grading SystemNo grades
Competition FormatForms
Weight ClassesNo
Olympic StatusNot Olympic
Estimated Practitioners10k–100k

What the style is built from

Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.

Hand strikesCore
KicksSignificant
Throws & takedownsMarginal
Ground fightingNot used
Locks & holdsMarginal
WeaponsSignificant

Catalogs & Databases for Sanhuang Paochui (Three Emperors Cannon Fist)

👊 Techniques Database3 items
📖 Glossary of Terms3 items
👥 People & Masters2 items

About Sanhuang Paochui (Three Emperors Cannon Fist)

Sanhuang Paochui, the Cannon Fist of the Three Emperors, is a northern Chinese style whose name points back to a legend: according to tradition it arose from the three mythical emperors Fu Xi, Shennong, and Gonggong, and was said to have come into being through the union of heaven, earth, and their power. The source explicitly labels this an account of legend, and the catalog has therefore removed both the previously listed founder and the year 1720 from the record. The documented lineage begins elsewhere. According to the records, Paochui was first demonstrated by the Shaolin monk Tanzong at a celebration held by Emperor Gaozu, and the monks are said to have learned it from warriors from Mount Emei. From there runs a line that the sources are able to trace: Puzhao at Emei around the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasties, his students Qiao Sanxiu and Gan Fengchi during the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng, then Qiao Heling, who lived from 1736 to 1795, and finally Yu Liandeng and Song Mailun. The latter two split the style into two branches that are still alive today — Song expanded it further, while Yu kept to the original foundation. Technically the style lives up to its name: the fist shoots out fast and with full force, like a shot fired from a cannon, working with crossing hand movements and a deep rider's stance; power is released in an explosion called fa jin, and the movement of the eyes, hands, and body is meant to move as one single unit. It is practiced today in Beijing and in several of the northern provinces.

Similar styles

Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.

Wing ChunHung GarChoy Li FutIron Palm Kung FuSun Style Tai ChiNanquan (Southern Fist)